AE Tourney II/Chickenboy PROHIBITED!!!/If you are Penelope Cruz my number is 714 287-4297

[Cap Mandrake]

This is from the Congressional Budget Office...so, of course...it is beyond reproach...

[rtrapasso]

Well, it looks like you need to score a bunch of points in your game as the USN in order to take the match... of course, there is F.O.W., but it seems that you need to sink a bunch of IJN CVs and seize some territory in order to increase your point total for the combined matches.

[Cap Mandrake]

************July 2, USN game***********

Chicken's Northward sortie of the Combined Fleet compelled a delay in the Saipan landing. His air losses caused him to retreat but a potent threat remains. There is at least one BB near Truk and one moving East south of Yap. His carriers are now unspotted...they could be in the Philippine Sea or they could be Northeast of New Guinea. They are not at Palau.

I have moved in more level bombers to Pagan to rough up Tinian and Guam. The transports are again moving West.

[Cap Mandrake]

************June 30, IJN game*************


The cripples from the raid on Eniwetok were destroyed in night gun battles. Remaining surface forces are recovering at Palau and Iwo. Fighters are recovering at both locations as well.

Balance sheet for the final 3 days of Haruna

USN losses:

Sunk:
CA Australia
DD x 9

Damage:
DD

IJN Losses:

Sunk:
Haruna
Tone
Mogami
DD x 3

Damage:
DD x 2


A crippled USS Monterey was discovered limping away from Iwo and was sunk by Bettys.

[Cap Mandrake]

USN game. The amphibious group could reach Saipan in one day but I still have to shut down Guam and quiet his naval guns a bit more.

Chicken has a likely crusier group moving NE from Truk. His carriers are unspotted. He likely has spotted a bunch of empty LCI's moving West from Midway. I will seem like a juicy target. Or..he could just be gathering for a run at Saipan when I try to land. The follow-on troops for Saipan are landing at Pagan. They can move down by landing craft when the Marines are ashore.

Carrier TBF/TBD's to attack Saipan today. B-25's will go after Guam airfield.

[Cap Mandrake]

Heap big fight USN game...more to come

[rtrapasso]

[Cap Mandrake]

Afternoon action. Jap BB's hide in a rain squall like little girls.

I believe that does it for operable Jap carriers (Zui is still at Palau with two holes in her side and likely cant operate aircraft). The Jap BB's are still a threat. Substantial Jap carreir aircraft recovered to Truk.

I thought Bunker Hill was a goner after I saw the report "*****FUEL STORAGE EXPLOSION*****" in all caps during the combat replay. In fact, she was able to recover her aircraft and can make 22 kts. One CVL is slowed to 17 kts but, amazingly, all US carriers can conduct flight ops.

I'll post the air losses when I get home.

[Cap Mandrake]

Approxiamte air losses. A few Jap planes were caught on the decks (ground losses)

[rtrapasso]

[>:] [>:]

[Cap Mandrake]

Combined Fleet...which is no longer ccombined gets beat up. Kongo and 2 CA's make a run toward Pagan. Yamato and pals make toward Palau.

[Cap Mandrake]

Morning Air attack on TF, near Truk at 113,101

Damaged carriers and and supporting carrier groups find the Kongo force. 27% hit rate on undamaged Kongo making 30 kts

Weather in hex: Thunderstorms


Allied aircraft
F4U-1A Corsair x 6
F6F-3 Hellcat x 22
SB2C-3 Helldiver x 34


Allied aircraft losses
SB2C-3 Helldiver: 3 damaged

Japanese Ships
BB Kongo, Bomb hits 9, on fire
CL Oyodo



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on TF, near Truk at 113,101

Weather in hex: Thunderstorms


Allied aircraft
F6F-3 Hellcat x 7
SBD-5 Dauntless x 23

"B" team goes after a CA getting 17% hits.

Allied aircraft losses
SBD-5 Dauntless: 2 damaged

Japanese Ships
BB Kongo, on fire
DD Shimakaze
DD Kishinami
CL Oyodo
CA Tone, Bomb hits 3, heavy fires, heavy damage


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on TF, near Ulithi at 100,100

Yamato force is found. Torpedo hit rate about 8%. Dive bombers do much better, nearly40% hits.

Weather in hex: Light cloud



Allied aircraft
F6F-3 Hellcat x 8
SB2C-1C Helldiver x 41
SB2C-3 Helldiver x 34
TBM-1C Avenger x 41



Japanese Ships
CA Myoko, Bomb hits 1, on fire
BB Nagato, Bomb hits 8, Torpedo hits 2, on fire
BB Yamato, Bomb hits 10, heavy fires
BB Musashi, Bomb hits 6, Torpedo hits 1, on fire
DD Asagumo, Bomb hits 3, heavy fires, heavy damage
DD Urakaze
CA Chikuma, Bomb hits 1
DD Yamagumo
CA Suzuya, Bomb hits 3, and is sunk
DD Shigure, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on TF, near Guam at 106,95

An AK trying to disembark at Guam is spotted by CVE's near Pagan

.

Allied aircraft
F6F-3 Hellcat x 8
TBF-1 Avenger x 4


No Allied losses

Japanese Ships
xAKL Turusima Maru, Bomb hits 4, heavy fires, heavy damage



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Truk at 113,101

Weather in hex: Overcast

Raid detected at 120 NM, estimated altitude 15,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 52 minutes


Allied aircraft
F6F-3 Hellcat x 6
SB2C-3 Helldiver x 34
SBD-5 Dauntless x 41
TBM-1C Avenger x 10


Allied aircraft losses
SB2C-3 Helldiver: 1 destroyed, 6 damaged
SBD-5 Dauntless: 2 damaged
TBM-1C Avenger: 2 damaged

Japanese Ships
BB Kongo, Bomb hits 7, heavy fires
DD Shimakaze, Bomb hits 4, heavy fires, heavy damage
CL Oyodo, Bomb hits 5, Torpedo hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage
DD Kishinami, Bomb hits 2, heavy fires, heavy damage
CA Tone, Bomb hits 3, heavy fires, heavy damage


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Truk at 113,101



Allied aircraft
F6F-3 Hellcat x 4
SBD-5 Dauntless x 18



Japanese Ships
CL Oyodo, Bomb hits 3, and is sunk
DD Shimakaze, Bomb hits 3, heavy fires, heavy damage




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Ulithi at 100,100

BB's can absorb a lot of punishment.

Allied aircraft
F6F-3 Hellcat x 8
SB2C-1C Helldiver x 40
SB2C-3 Helldiver x 34
TBM-1C Avenger x 22


Allied aircraft losses
SB2C-1C Helldiver: 6 damaged
SB2C-3 Helldiver: 1 destroyed, 2 damaged
TBM-1C Avenger: 1 destroyed, 11 damaged

Japanese Ships
BB Nagato, Bomb hits 11, heavy fires
BB Yamato, Bomb hits 8, Torpedo hits 2, heavy fires
CA Myoko, Bomb hits 4, heavy fires, heavy damage
DD Urakaze, Bomb hits 1
BB Musashi, Bomb hits 5, on fire
CA Chikuma, Bomb hits 5, heavy fires
DD Yamagumo
DD Shigure, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Guam at 106,95

Weather in hex: Overcast

Raid spotted at 43 NM, estimated altitude 15,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 20 minutes


Allied aircraft
F6F-3 Hellcat x 5
TBF-1 Avenger x 4


No Allied losses

Japanese Ships
xAK Sakido Maru, Bomb hits 3, heavy fires, heavy damage



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Truk at 113,101

Going after the escorts of the Kongo force.

Allied aircraft
F6F-3 Hellcat x 6
TBM-1C Avenger x 8


No Allied losses

Japanese Ships
DD Shimakaze, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk

[Cap Mandrake]

***********IJN Game***********


The Allied carrier death star is about even with Pagan and moving toward Iwo where I have numerous damaged ships. I spotted a "surface" TF about 300 mi to the SE on the previous turn and suspected it was the carriers coming up to finish me off. Yamato and Musashi have escaped death for now and may reach Palau but there are 3 heavily damaged carriers, a wounded Nagato and half a dozen cruisers still at Iwo. I would have sent them earlier but there wasnt enough fuel. Zui and Shokaku are going West and Zuiho which is still able to conduct flight ops is going East. I have 2 CA's and 2 CL's which I forgot to move to readiness last turn. They are almost certainly burnt toast as is Chitose which is too fragile to move. I will post about 170 fighters to at least kill some American planes. Im moved the Bettys and Judys at Iwo because I didnt have enough fighters to cover the base and fly escort. After his experince in attacking Iwo last time where he lost one CVL (Monterrey) and had several damaged I am betting he will stack up on CAP over his carreirs and go light on escorts for the port raid.

[rtrapasso]

tap tap tap .... "Is this thing still on?" [&:]

[Cap Mandrake]

Here is the IJN game. I am trying to get ships out of Iwo. Zuiho is sent eastward on a suicide transport raiding mission. She will try to slip into the Pearl-Eniwetok route by heading South, beign careful to skirt recon from Midway. She has 26% flotation damage and should not be at sea but it is still better than being destroyed in port.

Kongo is sent east from palau to go after some juicy AO's near Guam...but...alas...she is spotted.

[Cap Mandrake]

Chickenboy should be back from the Girl Scouts Jamboree pretty soon. Here is the plan for the USN game. The landing has to be delayed another day. Fortunately, for the Marines and GI's aboard the transports they seem to really like shit on a shingle. I think the extra Parchisi boards from the USO really helped too. Oddly, the chief morale officer reports most of the dice are missing.

This map was beautiful until the JPG conversion at which point the background became a kind of khaki-mint color not found in nature.

[Cap Mandrake]

Chicken has about a 1600 pt lead in his USN game and I have about a 2000 pt lead in my USN game. He could immediately score big points if he spots the damaged CV, BB and CA's trying to escape Iwo.

I am trying to make nosie with Yamato and Kongo. If Kongo can break through the Marshalls barrier he will need to send carriers to protect his shipping coming from Pearl. Of course, I may have to detach the DD's which lack the range for thsi type of cavalry raid.

[Cap Mandrake]

USN game..nearly the last gasp for offensive naval power for the IJN

[rtrapasso]

[>:] [>:] [>:]

[Cap Mandrake]

ORIGINAL: rtrapasso

[>:] [>:] [>:]

Oh...you are wrong...it is amazingly exciting. I wish I had time to explain it. [:)]